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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — a hole
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. content — the amount
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a path
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com